Improving Livelihoods
Nepal ranks among the lowest third of the UNDP Human Development Index list, at rank 142 the least developed country outside Africa (with the exception of East Timor). At 272 USD per annum (1,550 USD when purchase power adjusted), its GDP per capita is lower than that of many Sub-Saharan African countries.
Rice Planting in the Monsoon
80% of Nepal’s population depends on subsistence farming. In practice that means that almost everyone in the rural areas where PHASE Worldwide works is dependent on the crops grown on their own land, but very often these don’t yield enough to feed the family for the whole year - in many families, there is only a sufficient food supply for 6-9 months:
Because of the tradition of splitting the family land between all sons - and recently even daughters having a right to their parents’ property! - often the land available for one family is getting less from generation to generation, and more and more Nepalese are finding themselves with too little to sustain themselves.
Alternative income options are very few for uneducated villagers, not least because they have very little knowledge of what possibilities they have. Often the only alternatives are to work as a labourer within Nepal, or go abroad (which, in the case of females, often means prostitution).
PHASE Worldwide is trying to improve the situation of villagers in remote areas of Nepal by increasing their choices of alternative sources of income. - These can be agricultural or non-agricultural, and can be within their village or without.
Education itself can offer alternatives to young people. - Often, there is a possibility of coming back to their own village as a teacher or health worker after a period of professional training.
Small businesses: Even in remote villages, many people do have a little outside income - from working as porters or labourers or from selling their produce - and are able to spend this on commodities like radios, small solar panels etc. Anyone with skills in selling and repairing these can make an income, as long as he/she is able to travel between several villages - and this is just one example!
Improved agricultural techniques: by introducing micro-irrigation schemes, or simply better fertilising techniques, the fields can often yield up to twice as much to the traditional methods, and farmers find themselves able to sell some of their produce.
Cash crops: vegetables, tea or coffee or spices (ginger, garlic, cardamom) can offer a good supplementary income to farmers who have access to local markets.
Male Breeding Goat and Offspring
Animal husbandry: In a society where meat is a luxury and very sought after, particularly during the season of religious festivals, having a goat to sell once or twice a year can make all the difference between abject poverty and being able to purchase minimal necessities. PHASE runs several small goat breeding programmes in its project villages - either by giving female goats to families, who can return one kid into the “pool” once the goat has offspring, or by donating a male breeding goat to the community, which will improve milk and meat production in the next generation of kids.
Water mills: Nepal with its mountains and hills has an abundant supply of fast-flowing rivers, which can be harnessed to supply energy for grinding corn and rice, but can also be used to produce electricity.
There are many other examples of how PHASE Worldwide can help in remote villages in Nepal, please check our news page and project area page.